Manhandled by geopolitical vagaries which forced it to give up the approximately 500,000 annual sales guaranteed by its strong presence in Russia, Renault wants to give back a ” new start “ to its presence on non-European markets. Engaged in a major reorganization of its shareholders, which should break its isolation, the brand recorded a clear recovery during the third quarter, with sales increasing by 8%. However, this performance above all reflects its rebound on the Old Continent.
To continue to recover its accounts but also to rebalance its strengths, the manufacturer is launching a plan targeting Latin America, South-East Asia, India, North Africa and Turkey, which should enable it to get back into working order by 2027. Renault, the most widely distributed French brand in the world, with 634,000 units in 2022, but whose share of sales outside the borders of Europe has increased from 45% to 38% in four years, plans to launch eight new models, including a utility vehicle, for an investment of 3 billion euros.
First stage of this reconquest operation, the presentation, on October 26, in Rio de Janeiro, of the Kardian, a small SUV produced in the Curitiba factory, in the south of Brazil, then, subsequently, in Casablanca, in Morocco. Breaking with a practice which consisted of adapting models from the European catalog at a lower cost, this car aims to more closely match the demand of international markets.
No return planned on the Chinese market
Equipped with numerous driver assistance systems and designed on a modified platform to adapt to a variety of models, the Kardian, which is expected to go on sale in early 2024, borrows many technical elements from the Dacia Sandero and, to a lesser extent, the Renault Captur. The brand has opted for a modernized engine and a specific exterior style in order to give it a more robust appearance – the essential criterion for customers in emerging countries – and ground clearance compatible with degraded road networks.
The Kardian, which is not planned to be distributed in Europe, will quickly be available with hybrid engines, which are spreading in Latin America due to the tightening of regulations limiting CO emissions.2. By 2027, the brand plans to market a third of its vehicles in hybrid and, to a lesser extent, electric version. “Electrified models are seen as a sign of modernity for a wealthy urban clientele, but they also respond to the implementation, notably in Colombia, in Bogota and Medellin, or in Brazil, in Sao Paulo, of traffic restrictions intended to improve air quality »observes Bruno Vanel, director of product performance for the Renault brand.
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